TALL DARK AND HUNGRY Page 0,70

face as he pushed the trifle around in his mouth. A considering expression filled his face. Then he swallowed, scooped up an¬other spoonful, and held it to her lips.

Terri hesitated, then opened her mouth for him to slide it in. He waited, watching as she self-consciously chewed and swallowed; then he dipped the spoon into the trifle to scoop up more of the lus¬cious dessert.

By rights, this should have been his spoonful if they were now going to share the sweet, so Terri was surprised when, instead of consuming the mouthful, Bastien started to move it toward her. She was even more surprised when he paused halfway and deliber¬ately tipped it over her chest.

Terri gasped and sat up straighter in surprise, merely sending the sticky mixture faster on its travels down the curve of her left breast. "You did that on purpose!"

Bastien grinned. "It tastes better on you," he said simply, then leaned forward to kiss her. Terri's sur-prise gave way to pleasure. His tongue thrust out to slip between her lips, and within moments she had even forgotten that there was trifle dribbling down her chest.

Bastien hadn't forgotten, however. After a mo¬ment, he broke the kiss and let his lips trail down her chin to her throat. He skated quickly down to her dessert-laden cleavage, and concentrated with great effort on cleaning up the mess he'd made.

Terri slid her hands into his hair as he worked, her breath catching on a small gasp as his tongue slid along the edge of her white lace bra. Somehow, more buttons had come undone on her blouse, leaving it gaping open so that he had a path obstructed only by that lacy scrap of material. But the bra didn't stop Bastien. Again his tongue dipped into the hollow be¬tween her two breasts, following the trail of food and removing every last trace.

Once satisfied he'd not been cheated out of a sin¬gle lick of trifle, he again straightened, picked up the dessert dish, and began to scrape up another spoonful. Terri lay slumped on the couch, staring at him in amazement. Surely he--? She killed the thought and tried quickly to hide her expression as he finished spooning up the dessert. He moved to press the spoon to her lips.

"What's the matter?" he asked in a perfectly nor¬mal tone of voice, seemingly unaffected by what he had been doing just moments before.

"Nothing." Aware that her voice had risen in pitch to an almost squeak, she opened her mouth to ac-cept--and to avoid his asking any more questions.

Terri chewed and swallowed the dessert, then waited, watching as Bastien carefully scooped up bits of cherry, custard, and sponge cake. He was most dedicated, performing the task with great care and at¬tention. But, instead of lifting it to his mouth, he again held it over her and paused to raise one eye¬brow at her as if asking permission. Terri simply bit her lip and stared back, unwilling to say no, but un¬able to say yes.

He smiled and tipped the spoon, dropping it on her naked flesh. Terri sucked in her breath, watched the colorful mixture slide along her skin. It had not landed on her neckline. This time he had dropped it just below the lace of her bra, and it was running down her stomach toward the waistband of her jeans.

"You're going to need a shower after this," he commented apologetically, setting the dish and spoon aside. "But I appreciate the sacrifice you're making for my culinary delight," he added as he turned back.

As he glanced at her face, his gaze was arrested. Her face was as open and expressive as her nature, and he could read the conflicted feelings there: excitement, anticipation, anxiety, fear. Bastien's heart went out to her. He wanted to comfort her, to tell her it would be all right. It would be perfect. But he was feeling a cou¬ple of anxieties himself as he contemplated what was to come. He wasn't just eating dessert off of Terri's skin; he hoped to make love to her. The trifle had just been his gambit.

Deciding the best way to reassure them both was easier in the showing than the telling, he kissed her again. Terri was, at first, still and unresponsive under the caress--fighting her fears, he supposed. But then she opened to him, her arms creeping around his shoulders. He slid his tongue inside her mouth, and he could taste cherries and cream and her. The com¬bination made him murmur in appreciation.